Petach Tikva Mayor Closes Men’s Mikves Even Though Health Ministry Allows Their Operation

PETACH TIKVA (VINnews) — The new lockdown rules in Israel, which came into effect at 2 PM on the eve of Rosh Hashana, have left many people muddled. Technically people must stay within 500 meters of their houses but in practice they can go to work, to important purchases and to demonstrations even further away from their houses.

One of the health ministry regulations referred to men’s mikves. The directive stated that people should go to a mikva within 1000 meters of their houses. However this did not deter the mayor of Petach Tikva, Rami Greenberg from closing the mikve in Kiryas HaBesht in the Hadar Ganim neighborhood on the eve of Rosh Hashana, in contravention of the law, forcing chasidim to jump over a wall in order to enter the mikve, according to a report by Kikar Hashabbat.

Municipal inspectors came during Rosh Hashana to ensure that nobody was entering the mikve and even called the police but after residents insisted on their rights, they were allowed to enter the mikve.

However on the second day of Rosh Hashana the inspectors returned and soldered the doors of the mikve. Residents complained that the mayor is “obsessed” with anything religious and considers himself above the law.

However the municipality responded that they had acted within the law in sealing the mikve and added that police had incontrovertible proof that a person who tested positive to COVID-19 had gone to the mikve despite knowing that he was sick with the virus. The person was fined 5000 NIS ($1500).

Greenberg wrote on a local Whatsapp group that the municipality had acted within its rights and that “it is unnecessary to state the danger and infection caused to all those who came there. This is the best proof of why we need to continue to ensure that the place remains closed. The infected person was fined and will be charged….I call on everyone to maintain regulations. We will not allow irresponsible violators of the law to cause the death of others.”